Disney Lodge Serving Up A Taste Of The Northwest

DINING CHOW HOUND

The Hound took a trip recently to the great American Northwest, and it took less than 30 minutes to get there. That's because I had only to go to Walt Disney World and the new Wilderness Lodge.

Have you seen the pictures of this new place? It looks like the grand lodges built in the national parks back at the turn of the century - although automatic doors and valet parking didn't reach the great Northwest until several years later. A few people have commented on the resemblance of this new hotel to the lodge at Yellowstone National Park. Wilderness Lodge even has a big, sloping roof like Yellowstone's.

Those roofs are designed like that because of the heavy snowfalls. Wilderness Lodge stands only a remote chance of ever having to bear up under heavy snows. Still, there is a seven-story, wood-burning fireplace in the lobby that roars even in the warm days of June. Out in front is a topiary of a bison and her baby although the baby looks more like a wild pig.

The Hound, of course, wasn't really concerned with topiary pigs, sloping roofs or fireplaces. He was there to see what's cooking with the new lodge's restaurants.

There are only two full-service restaurants although in one you do a great deal of the serving yourself.

Whispering Canyon Cafe is a ''family-style'' eatery, which means the server brings big bowls and platters to the table and you dish out as much as you want to eat. I stopped by for a noontime meal that featured barbecued beef brisket, sliced smoked turkey, ham, cole slaw, baked beans and thick, waffle-cut fries. This was all accompanied with thick slices of fresh-baked white and dark rye bread and lettuce, tomato and cheese to make a sandwich.

All of this is dropped onto a lazy susan made from the top of a barrel. If the server is real fast, you don't see all the previous patrons' crumbs that seem to collect in the cracks in the barrel top (need to come up with a better way to clean those things).

It was all pretty good although the processed-cheese slices were a little cheesy. It was a pretty good feast for $8.75, which included beverage and ''trail dust shortcake'' for dessert. The biscuity shortcake was good and so were the strawberries and whipped cream. The ice cream that topped it, however, was a little tallowy tasting - unless that flavor was the trail dust in the name.

Whispering Canyon Cafe is adjacent to the hotel's lobby. One side looks out at the atrium and the other looks out at a mountain prairie vista, courtesy of Disney's creative landscaping crew. In fact, the landscaping, which features lots of pretty mountain wildflowers, is one of the highlights of the lodge. (Never mind about the pig topiary.)

There was plenty of time to explore the grounds because there was a long wait at Whispering Canyon the day I visited. But the neat thing is that you can get a beeper to wear, and the host stand will buzz you when your table is ready. That way, you can wander around to see the wonderful bits of details that have gone into the lodge, such as that fireplace, the Grand Canyon fireplace, actually, with different layers of rock to represent the actual strata of the Grand Canyon.

Or you can wander outside past the waterfall, where water falls over a large rock and streams down to the swimming pool, then out to the lake. You'll also find a geyser that erupts on the hour - now that's faithful.

Besides Whispering Canyon there is Roaring Fork, a snack bar. Get it? Roaring Fork? There are prefab sandwiches and burgers made to order. So-so.

The top-of-the-line restaurant is Artist Point, which serves breakfast and dinner. But I'll save that one for a future edition of ''Table Matters'' in Florida magazine.

Whispering Canyon Cafe is open from 7 to 11 a.m. for breakfast; from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch; and from 4:30 to 10 p.m. for dinner. It doesn't take reservations, but if you want to argue the matter, the phone number for Wilderness Lodge is (407) 824-3200.

Change is good. Change in the restaurant scene has become a Chow Hound theme over the past few weeks. Disney restaurants aren't immune to those changes, and the Hound has learned of a few in the offing.

As you know, Broadway at the Top at the top of the Contemporary Resort closed a while back. Now comes word that it will be developed into a medium-priced restaurant aimed more at adults than at families. And look who has been brought on board to develop the restaurant - George Miliotes, formerly of the Orlando institution Chris' House of Beef.

That restaurant probably won't happen for another year. In the meantime, the space is occupied by the Concourse Grill Steakhouse.

And Papeetee Bay Verandah at the Polynesian Resort will undergo a menu and decor change soon. I'll let you know when.

Remember last week when I told you Florida Bay Grill had closed? Shells seafood chain is one of a few restaurants said to be interested in the space.